Deaths in drone attacks between Russia and Ukraine – IAEA chief condemns attack on nuclear plant personnel

The Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, Europe's largest nuclear facility with six reactors and a nominal capacity of 6,000 megawatts, has been under the control of Russian troops since March 2022. All reactors have been shut down for safety reasons. Following the attack, a complete power outage occurred in Enerhodar according to the Russian occupation administration; social facilities had to be supplied with diesel generators.

Background: Europe's largest nuclear power plant

The Russian Foreign Ministry in Moscow reacted immediately to the incident. Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova wrote on Telegram, naming the head of the IAEA, Rafael Grossi: „Wir fordern von den zuständigen internationalen Gremien, allen voran der IAEA, eine klare und unmissverständliche Erklärung, in der dieser Mord verurteilt wird." Likhachev demanded a „klare Reaktion" from the International Atomic Energy Agency and spoke of a terrorist attack.

Rosatom spoke of a „gezielter Terroranschlag des Kiewer Regimes". Russia accuses the Ukrainian army of having deliberately killed the plant's chief engineer. A statement from Ukraine regarding the drone attack on the nuclear plant was not initially available.

The IAEA later commented on platform X. Director General Rafael Grossi condemned the incident, describing it as „inakzeptabel" and as endangering nuclear safety. The organization called for a halt to all attacks on or near nuclear facilities and their personnel.

Civilian casualties in the Zaporizhzhia region

In the Zaporizhzhia region, at least five civilians lost their lives in Russian attacks. According to regional governor Ivan Fedorov, three people were killed and 15 others injured in the regional capital Zaporizhzhia. He also reported two men killed as a result of strikes with remotely controlled drones in the frontline city of Orikhiv.

The industrial city of Zaporizhzhia, located just over 20 kilometers from the front line, is under almost round-the-clock air raid alerts due to constant Russian attacks with drones, bombs, and missiles. There were also attacks in the Black Sea and at port facilities in the Odessa region: according to governor Oleh Kiper, three people died in Russian attacks on merchant vessels off the coast of the Odessa region and in the Black Sea; additionally, a vessel sailing under the flag of the Marshall Islands was hit in port infrastructure, causing a fire on board and killing two people.

Black Sea and port cities under fire

In Ukrainian attacks on the ports of Odessa and Chornomorsk, four ships carrying cargo for the Ukrainian army were hit according to Kiper's information; port facilities for unloading fuel and lubricants as well as fuel tanks were also hit. Kiper described each of these attacks as „Kriegsverbrechen gegen die friedliche Bevölkerung, die zivile Schifffahrt und die globale Ernährungssicherheit" and stated that the attacked ships had been traveling in corridors for the export of Ukrainian grain.

In parallel, according to Ukrainian special forces, the Ukrainian army attacked the Balaklava thermal power plant in Sevastopol on the annexed Crimean Peninsula on Wednesday night. The plant is responsible for nearly half of the peninsula's power generation; as a result of Ukrainian attacks, power in Sevastopol is being cut off for hours at a time. Ukraine also stated that, following drone attacks on 20 Russian ships in the Black Sea, it had hit 17 oil tankers, two gas tankers, and a tugboat.

The Russian leadership was informed about the attack on the nuclear plant, according to Moscow. The IAEA emphasized its demand for an end to all attacks on nuclear facilities and called on the international community to take a stance.

The Odessa region and its port infrastructure have been regularly targeted by Russian attacks since the start of the Russian invasion in 2022. The Sea of Azov serves as an important transport route for the export of Russian agricultural products and the supply of the Crimean Peninsula, annexed in 2014. The incidents highlight the ongoing escalation of mutual drone attacks between the two countries.